GoHeels Exclusive: Relaxed & Confident Pinson Thriving

by Pat James, GoHeels.com

CHAPEL HILL—Theo Pinson, bruised and battered, toed the free-throw line relaxed and confident.

Only 51.4 seconds remained in the No. 13 North Carolina men's basketball team's 73-69 win over Wake Forest in both teams' Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Saturday. UNC trailed by two, 69-67.

Pinson had scored only two points in the second half. His last trip to the charity stripe came with 23 seconds left until halftime, when he landed sharply on his left hip and elbow after being fouled on an acrobatic tip-in. He missed the ensuing free throw, snapping a streak of 19 consecutive makes.

But none of that, nor the blow to the jaw he sustained during the opening minute of the second half, lingered in Pinson's mind as he attempted to help the Tar Heels stave off a two-game home losing streak with two free throws.

He made both.

"There was no doubt in my mind Theo would knock those down," Kenny Williams said. "We know what we're going to get out of Theo at this point. He's done that so many times this season and last season. It was no surprise to see him knock 'em down."

A missed Wake Forest free throw and Joel Berry II's game-winning floater followed Pinson's free throws. And thus continued Pinson's pivotal play in the final minutes of close games, specifically at the free-throw line.

Since he was a child, Pinson has always strived to be the one shooting free throws at the end of games. Making them, he said, requires confidence.

"I've missed my fair share, and I've always wanted that chance again," Pinson said. "I'm always able to calm myself down before I shoot them, like, 'Alright, knock 'em in and step up for your team.'"

But that hasn't always been the result.

On Saturday, Pinson recalled UNC's trip to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis during his freshman year. He went 1-for-4 on free throws across three tournament games. Two of those misses, he said, came after he didn't distribute the ball.

"I kept the ball and I could have passed it to Marcus (Paige) or something like that," Pinson said. "I kept it and was like, 'I'm going to make these free throws.' And I missed. So little things like that, I still remember them."

Yet such memories have been overshadowed recently by more pleasant ones.

Pinson also reflected Saturday on the Tar Heels' 76-72 win at Duke on March 5, 2016. In that game, he made two crucial free throws with 26 seconds left, helping UNC clinch the ACC regular-season title outright for the first time since 2012.

From there, his confidence grew.

Pinson entered Saturday having made the last 14 free throws he had taken during the final five minutes of games in which the margin was seven points or fewer dating back to that Duke game. That included going 4-for-4 in the final 16 seconds of the 78-73 victory at Tennessee on Dec. 17.

So after registering an assist and two rebounds (one offensive and the other defensive) over the previous minute, Pinson seized his chance to reach the free-throw line with less than a minute left on Saturday.

Playing at forward in UNC's smaller lineup, Pinson received a pass at the top of the key. He recognized his matchup against Wake Forest center Doral Moore. And he attacked the rim.

"If Garrison (Brooks) was in the game," Pinson said, "I would have had a guard on me and it would've been a little tougher to get to the basket."

But Pinson drew a foul on Wake Forest center Olivier Sarr. He then strolled to the free-throw line, bruised and battered, and made two free throws.

Players Mentioned

Joel Berry II

Theo Pinson

Kenny Williams

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